The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-20

one firmly resolved that he wouldn't be the ono
ito make mess of it"
Put up yer sights for two hundred yards
said jim. as We gently slid our rife barrels over
the rocks. We got our guns into position. and
drew bead on buffalo which lay of on
the extreme left There was pause of halt a
minute or so to give everyone chance to get a
good ready, then some one said
Zone, two. three"-bang!
Up sprang my COW. the first upon her feet
and wheeled completely around as if she had a
mt. Up sprang all the buffalo, and with grand
rush away they started. Levers and breecn-
smoking shells were flung out, and four loaded
cartridges thrown in with jerk.
Bang! bang! bane" went the rifles at the fly
ing herd, which ran from Us, wheeled to the left
to get an easier descent, and swept down the
steep slope like an avalanche
Again we worked our levers, and again poured
our bullets into them as they
ITO your horses boys!" cried Boyd, as he
started down the hill at full speed Fool that
was. fingered to get one more shot at the fly
ing herd-and to whether at least one
buffalo had not been brought down. No, bad
luck to US ALL / am compelled TO admit that
not even one buffalo had fallen! This was ter
rbe.
AS I turned and started for my horse Boyd
dashed away at full speed, and an instant later
Jim was after him. My horse had a great mind
to GO, too, but l cried out: "Whoa, Browniei"
and the faithful old fellow waited for me. Be-
l was in my saddle the whole chase was out of
my sight, around the bluff.
SEQ it, Brownien I cried when fairly in the
saddle. and. with bound. the old fellow was
Off He realized very keenlv that were be-
hind-aH my fault, confound me-and the way
he hit out" was caution to rivals. He stuck
his nose straight out, and seemed to fairly fly.
never rode horse which made such tremen-
dous bounds and yet made them so swiftly and
so strong He was as easy as cradle and sure
q a a / ~ =
or quist, but just gave him rein enough and said:
"Go it. old man"
Old Brownie was in more senses than one "a
dark horse" He belonged in the team because
day before that l had discovered VIII; / fast
runner he was. and also how sure-fool and
sensible. But his first record was lie.
d n 800 yards we overhauled Russell OIL jelim
and quickly passed him. The herd was 4 good
quarter or mile away, heading straight for
Taylor creek. more than a mile distant and GO
ing like the wind. The buffalo ran in a close
bunch, heads low down, and the striking
on the light brown hair On their humps and
shoulders made them seem far more light col
ored than they really we're We saw that they
were mostly young beasts. too. After them
raced Boyd on his sorrel Hunter, and close be-
hind him went Jim.
1t was pretty race. The course was a gentle
slope downward, crossed here and there by dan
gerouS coules. must admit. but mostly pretty
fair ground Excitement was name for it.
There the long hunted buffalo we're so near and
vet so far-and how like the very mischief they
did run! Although we gained on them at every
leap. still no one was within hundred yards of
them. Jim passed Boyd and then did BY
that time old Brownie getting warmed up
and l gave him a smart touch with the spur
The old fellow entered heartily into the spirit of
the chase as l could plainly feel and his supe-
rior speed seemed certain to bring me alongside
the herd in a few moments more.
We eaped ditch-like coules and suuken spots,
dog town, the terror of galoping horseman
From the beginning of the hunt l mad almost
prayed that might never find it necessary to
chase buffalo across dog town-and here we
were into one the very first thing. 1t was fully
half mile across it. and honeycombed with big,
gaping holes, just the right size for a running
horse to set a leg in up to the knee, snap it off
and throw his rider headlong into the next town
ship. l fairly shivered with dread and held my
self ready for tumble without notice but we
could not afford to slaeken our speed in the
least. The prairie dogs barked at us from all
sides ere they dived out CT sight. If they wished
us bad luck for our bad manners; but we had no
time to say "by Your leave" Old Brownie had
all he could do to find solid ground, but we'll
| did he mind his eye" that he never once stepped
| into any of the holes which lay in ambush for
| his flying feet
Once we came full speed to coulie which lay
across our course. which was dangerously wide
| and deep. l thought of broken bones. and the
| hereafter. but only for an instant. With q
| mighty effort the old horse gathered himself fol-
| a tremendous leap, rose high above the chasm
cleared it. landed safely on the other side and
| kept
The buffalo reached the creek hundred yard.
| ahead of me, and went over the steep bank pell
nell, in way that would have broken oul
| horses legs and our own necks. As Jim and
| pulled up at the edge we leaped to the ground
| and blazed away at them as they came up OF
| the opposite side, good rif1e-shot away. W.
| must have hit some of them somewhere, bu
| none dropped. just then / noticed that an i'm
mense old bull had left the herd and gone of
| alone ND the creek. wounded by Jim, Will,
jim was still firing mounted and made afte
| him.
| I ran him mile and half. but the GROUND
was so bad, and he took advantage of it SO we'll
| / could not overhaul him, nor even get within
fair rifle shot. He gradually described an i'm
| mense semi-ercle to the left and then Jim wen
| straight for him. This maneuver placed hin
| ahead of me in the chase, SO turned back a
once. and rode after cow. which had also lief
the herd, and was hit pretty hard. / think sh
| was the one fired at lying down. She ran TO
the bad lands. back toward the bates. but
| easily cut in ahead of her and got good shot
| which nearly brought her down. huLdre
yards further / rode up close and give her a bal
| through the lungs. which killed her
Presently Jim joined me. all smiles and per
spiration eleefully claiming the S. had Offered
/ as present to the slayer OF the first old bull
| buffalo. He had got the old patriarch-chase,
| hi'b INV INV eoA W q III E0NtuC, "H0IC
he could not get out, and broke hi
back. Cruel lfunter that he was, he ha
left him alive, that could sketch him
| wanted to! was Mortified, and we at once Sc
out to ride to him, and put him out of hi
| misery. We started to take a short cut and
when half way there, up jumped two splendi
old bulls from behind a cut bank where The
had been hiding in the bottom of a coulie. 1t wa
| n tremendous surprise. I fired from my hors
at the one on my side. and jim jumped dow
and fired from the ground. His horse bolted In
stantly. and he called to me to go and catch il
but being more eager to kill buffalo than t
catch horses just then. l gave him my horse
ride after his, while got in two capital shots q
200 yards | saw plainly that ono of my shot
had broken the left fore leg of ms buffalo, clos
to the shoulder, and said to myself, You're m
meat! But he did not fall Just then Jir
galloped up and handed the reins OF m